Shade pulls



April 30, 1963 A. ROBERTS SHADE PULLS Filed Jar 1. 22, 1959 FRANK A. ROBERTS INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States This invention pertains to new and improved shade pulls.

The term shade pull is commonly used at the present time to designate comparatively small structures which are attached to a portion of a conventional cloth type of Window shade in order to facilitate the adjustment of such a shade. Such pulls are primarily intended to be used so that the shade itself will not become soiled as it is moved from one location to another. They are also used so as to prevent the conventional shade from being torn or mutilated by an undue concentration of force at one point as such a shade is being moved.

Conventional window shades of the type used with such shade pulls usually employ a coated cloth shade proper which terminates at its lower edge in an elongated pocket of uniform cross-sectional configuration. This pocket is formed by folding the shade back on itself so that the edge of the shade is secured at the top of the pocket by what is commonly referred to as a seam. The pocket in this type of construction is normally adapted to hold an elongated rod such as a window rod.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved shade pulls which are adapted to be used with shade constructions of this general type. A more specific object of the present invention is to provide shade pulls of the type indicated which can be inexpensively manufactured using modern high speed injection molding techniques. A further object of this invention is to provide shade pulls of this type which can be satisfactorily employed with Window shades of virtually any desired width, which effectively protect such shades from soilage as they are being operated, and which are of such a con struction that there is substantially no danger of such shades being torn or otherwise mutilated as these pulls are used.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which tln's invention pertains from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this description including the appended claim and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational View illustrating the use of :a shade pull of this invention upon a window shade;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of [this shade pull;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of this shade pull;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an attachment which may be used with this shade pull if desired;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view illustrating the use of a modified construction falling within the broad scope of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of this modified structure; and

FIG. 7 is an end View of this modified structure taken in the direction of arrow 7 in FIG. 5.

Wherever convenient for purposes of illustration and explanation like numerals are used to designate like parts in various figures of the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood that this drawing is not to be taken as limiting this invention in any respect. This drawing is primarily intended so as to clearly illustrate certain presently preferred embodiments of the construction of this invention. Those familiar with art to which this invention pertains will realize that other differently appearing devices may be readily designed through the use of routine engineering skill so as to utilize the essential atent 2 principles or features of this invention as herein explained.

As an aid to understanding this invention it can be stated in essentially summary form that it includes shade pulls, each of which is formed of a single unitary body of a rigid material. Such a body includes opposed side walls joined together by an end wall so as to have a generally U-shaped appearance when viewed from one end. These side walls are formed so that the portions of them adjacent to the end wall, and the end wall itself, are curved in order to define an internal slot leading between the sides of a shade pull of this invention, this internal slot being of approximately the same dimensions as the pocket of a window shade containing a rod as described in the preceding discussion. The free ends of these side walls contain a plurality of ridges which fit together so as to define a pathway leading from this slot to the top of the shade pull. This pathway is of such dimension as to fit against and engage the seam normally found in any window shade of the type with which shade pulls of this invention are adapted to be used. These ridges are of a complementary shape and are curved so that there is substantially no danger of a window shade being torn by a shade pull of this invention and so that a shade pull of this invention may he slid along the length of a window shade with a minimum of difficul-ty. These ridges, however, grip the hem or seam of a shade in such a manner as to firmly hold a shade pull of this invention in a desired location.

The actual nature of the shade pull of this invention is best more full explained by referring directly to the accompanying drawing in which there is shown a shade pull 10 which is adapted to be located upon a window shade 12 as indicated in FIG. 1 :of the drawings so that a slot 14 formed between side walls 16 and 18 and an end wall 20 of this shade pull 10 fits over and firmly engages a pocket 22 of the shade 12 containing a rod 24 of uniform cross-sectional configuration.

With this construction the ends of the walls 16 and 18 remote from the end wall 20 are formed so as to fit closely adjacent to one another and so as to include curved ridges 26 of a complementary shape. These ridges define a circuitous path adapted to contain the seam 28 on the shade 12. With this construction these ridges 2:6 firmly engage the seam 28 so as to hold the shade pull 10 in place upon the shade 12. They further distribute forces to the shade 12 as a shade pull 10 is used so as to prevent the shade 12 being torn mutilated or deformed 'by the forces applied to it through the shade pull.

In order to facilitate the positioning of the shade pull .10 upon the shade 12 by being slid over an end of the rod 24 and the pocket 22 it is preferred to provide tapered walls 30 leading from the sides of the pull 10 on the side Walls 16 and 18 to the space between the ridges 26 as is indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Similar tapered walls 31 on the free ends of the side walls 16 and 18 also serve to prevent damaging of the shade 12. Further, it is preferable to form the side walls 16 and 18 so that their free ends containing the ridges 26 are of larger dimensions than their ends adjacent to the end wall 20 in order to provide a comparatively large amount of gripping area engaging the seam 28 of a shade 12 so as to eliminate any possibility of undue forces being applied to any one region of this scam.

Although the shade pull 10 can be operated without any other structure being attached to it, it is normally preferred to attach to the end wall 18 at its center on the side of this end Wall remote from the side walls 16 and 18 a small lug 32 reinforced against side bending by means of a flange 34, this flange being positioned around a web 36 having a hole 38 formed therein. If desired, a conventional cord 40 as indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawings may easily be attached to the hold 38 in a known 3 manner. If desired, however, a small loop-like fingerhold 42 having opposed, spaced ends 44 may be temporarily deformed through the application of moderate pressure so that the ends 44- fit within the hole 38.

From the aforegoing description those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will realize that shade pulls :as herein described may be easily manufactured from a wide variety of known rigid thermoplastic materials, such as styrene or the like, at a comparatively nominal cost. They will further realize that these shade pulls are extremely satisfactory for the purposes intended and that they may be used with a minimum of difiiculty without danger of a shade being damaged by contact with them. It will be further realized that shade pulls such as the shade pulls 10 differ from prior related constructions inasmuch as they are not slipped over a rod and a pocket in a shade from one side of such rod and pocket but instead ane slid along the length of a rod and pocket from one end of a Window shade. When shade pulls 10 are used with a shade such as the shade 12, they are in the nature of a temporary attachment which can be removed from such a shade for cleaning or other purposes as may be desired. However, they cannot be pulled off of a side during use because they are of a rigid nature.

The basic features or principles of the shade pul-l 10 can be applied to a modified structure 50 of this invention as indicated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings. This modified structure includes side walls 52 and 54 connected by an end wall 56. These walls, 52, 54 and 56 are formed so as to include a centrally located slot 58 having curved walls extending completely through this modified structure 50 between the sides thereof, this slot -8 being adapted to be positioned over a traverse rod 60 as indicated in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

The free ends of the side walls 52 and 54 are provided with a series of complementary ridges 62 which are adapted to fit together so as to define a very narrow slot within which a curtain or the like 66 may be located so as to permit its being held in a desired location. It is noted that ridges Within the ends of the side walls 52 and 54 extend both across such side walls and along the length thereof as to achieve exceedingly good holding action whereas the ridges 26 on the pull merely extend between the side edges of the shade pull 10.

Because of the (nature of this invention and because of the fact that the external shapes of devices as herein described may be changed in various manners without altering the basic construction of such devices, this invention is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claim forming a part of this disclosure.

rial so asto included opposed side walls and an end wall joining adjacent ends of said side walls, said side walls and said end wall being formed so as to include a curved slot extending through said shade pull, said slot being adapted to be positioned over a pocket and a rod -forming a part of a window shade, the free ends of said side walls being formed so as to include a plurality of curved ridges of complementary shape, said ridges defining a pathway leading from said slot past the free ends of said shade pull, said side walls including tapered walls leading from said pathway to the exterior of said shade pull, said pathway being adapted to engage the seam on -a window shade, the free ends of said side walls being of larger dimension than the ends of said side walls adjacent to said end wall, the pull including a lug formed on said end wall, said lug having a hole formed therein, said hole being adapted to receive means for use in moving a window shade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 50,193 Whittier et al Sept. 26, 1865 92,488 Strain July 13, 1869 195,763 Knapp Oct. 2, 1877 290,698 Michel Dec. 25, 1883 800,441 Herr et a1 Sept. 26, 1905 819,064 Hartshor-n May 1, 1906 1,166,355 Franklin Dec. 28, 1915 1,368,839 Richards Feb. 15, 1921 1,554,437 Larsen et a1 Sept. 22, 1925 1,686,297 Trimble Oct. 2, 1928 1,890,320 Field Dec. 6, 1932 1,935,685 White Nov. 21, 1933 2,002,001 Beard May 21, 1935 2,433,171 Tegarty Dec. 23, 194-7 2,614,570 Hall Oct. 21, 1952 2,805,013 Comfort Sept. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 651,703 France Oct. 15, 1928 1,127,231 France Aug. 6, 1956 651,186 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1951 129,234 Sweden Aug. 22, 1950 

